USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Changes Command

Sailors of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) welcomed a new commanding officer during a change of command ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, November 18.

Captain Paul C. Spedero relieved Captain Stephen Koehler as Ike’s commanding officer in front of the ship’s crew, friends and family during a ceremony in the ship’s hangar bay.

Rear Admiral Bruce H. Lindsey, commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, who presided over the change of command, said Koehler’s accomplishments as commanding officer are reflected in the ship’s crew, which is more than ready to complete its current workup cycle ahead of a deployment scheduled for summer 2016.

Koehler leaves Ike to become the director of fleet/joint training at U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. During Koehler’s nearly two and a half years at Ike’s helm, the command completed an extensive, 23-month docking planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.